Tim Walker always will feel indebted to his parents for the opportunities they provided him.

The Malone men's basketball coach spoke highly of other parents Monday when he spoke at the Pro Football Hall of Fame Luncheon Club. Their trust in him and his university always will be remembered.

Isiah Elliott, Che Richardson and Cory Veldhuizen will tip off their final collegiate seasons tonight when the Pioneers host Ohio Christian. The former Stark County high school players came to Malone before it moved to NCAA Division II and have helped make the transition smooth.

"These parents allowed their young men to come in and be a part of our program," Walker said. "We hadn't had a lot of success. Some people forget that not only have we transitioned to NCAA Division II, we came out of a tough year the year before I got here.

"It had been a tough transition, and these guys stepped into a situation where we couldn't tell them a whole lot about what the future looked like. All we could tell them is we're going to coach you, we're going to love you, we're going to do the best we can and we think we're going to go to Division II.

"These parents gave us the opportunity with their young men. It has been a special time with these young men, a special four years."

Elliott will be a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year candidate this season. He was in the conversation in 2012-13 before a torn ACL cost him the final few weeks of the season.

"Isiah Elliott will undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest point guards, if not the best point guard, to play at Malone University," Walker said. "He's a 30-20-10 guy. He's going to be in the top 30 in rebounds at the end of his career, rebounds as a point guard, in the top 20 in scoring all-time and the top 10 in assists. He's done it with phenomenal class and is a tremendous athlete."

Walker said Richardson is probably the best glue guy he has had in 12 seasons as a coach. He and Elliott are first cousins and will start in the same backcourt at Malone for the fourth straight season. They were also high school teammates at McKinley.

"You're not going to see his name in the top headlines, but he makes us better every single day," Walker said of Richardson. "He plays some of the most minutes of anybody on our team because he's so effective defensively and is a smart player.

"He played the 4 for us some, the 3 for us, and when Isiah got hurt he became our point guard. He can do anything we ask him to do on the court."

Veldhuizen is on pace to finish his career as one of the Pioneers' top 25 career scorers and rebounders. The move to Division II has been a big adjustment for the former Hoover power forward.

"One of the toughest transitions in the GLIAC and going Division II is the 4 spot," Walker said. "He's undersized. He's 6-foot-4 and he's just ornery. He figures out a way to do it."

Elliott, Richardson and Veldhuizen are the only seniors who have been with the program all four seasons. Walker hopes they can help lead the Pioneers to the postseason before they go out. Malone will be eligible to play in the GLIAC tournament for the first time this season.

"Their families have entrusted them to us, and we've had the opportunity to impact them," Walker said. "It has been an absolute privilege."